Whole JVo, 404?,
The "Xorth-Carolina, Free Press "
BY GEORGE HOWARD,
Is published weekly, at Two Dollars
and Fifty Cents per year, if paid , a(i
vancc or, Thret Dollars, at the expira
tion of the year. For any period less
than a year, Twenty-five Cents per
month. Subscribers are at liberty to dis
continue at any time, on giving notice
thereof and paying arrearsthose resi
ding at a distance must invariably pay in
advance, or give a responsible reference
in this vicinity.
Advertisemcnts,nof exceeding 16 lines
will be inserted at 50 cents the first in
sertion, and 25 cents each continuance.
Longer ones at that rate for every 16
lines. Advertisements must be marked
the number of insertions required, or
they will be continued until otherwise
ordered. $7"Letters addressed to the
Editor must be post paid, or they may
not be attended to.
Internal Imp ro ve men Is. II o u se
of Kepresentativcs, Wednesday, May
2, 1S32:- . J
Amendments of Mr. Ver
planek, making appropriations
tor internal improvements for
certain rivers, bays, harbors,
&c. being under consideration
iu committee of ihe whole,
Mr. II ALL, of North Carol ina,
ottered an amendment to come!
in after the item for removing
obstructions at Ocracock Inlet.
The amendment is as follows:
"For the removal of the mud
shoal below the town of Wash
ington, North Carolina, and a
bed of stumps which obstruct
the passage of vessels in the
river."
Mr. HALL, in explanation of
his amendment, said, that he
did not wish to impose upon
members of that House they
knew, generally, that lie did not
feel himself at liberty to vote
for subjects of this character,
but he wished to put it in the
power of those who did feci
themselves at liberty to apply
the public money to such pur
poses, to apply it where it would
be of some use to some of his
constituents, and particularly to
put it in the power of gentle
men who seemed so desirous of
giving something to his consti
tuents to do it, where it would
be attended with practical utili
ty. This object was, from its
nature and location, as much
entitled to an appropriation as
any item in the bill. The shoal
to which he alluded, was known
to be an impediment to vessels
going to or from Washington,
loaded, and they had generally
to lay below this shoal and
lighten by boats.
Mr. H. believed the removal
of this obstruction not only
practicable, but, at compara
tively a small expense, aided
by the machine employed at the
Swash, as ho was compelled to
believe, uselessly. This object
is, according to the doctrine of
gentlemen, as much national as
any of the works appropriated
for in this bill. It lias all the
attributes of nationality claim
ed for works of this character.
It is ati obstruction to com
merce, it is within a collection
district, near a custom house,
and, therefore, according to the
late doctrines, that, whatever is
within a collection district be
comes national, and, therefore,
constitutional, is of consequence
entitled to an appropriation.
The stumps alluded to, though
their removal is not altogether
as important as the removal of
the shoal, are yet entitled, upon
the principles already stated, to
be considered as good national
stumps as any in the Union.
Tarborough, (Edgecombe County, JV. tJ Tuesday, May
He again .repeated, he would
not deceive gentlemen, even il
uns amendment was admitted
into the bill, which, he thought.
upon their own principles, it
ougnt to be, he should still be
obliged to vote against the bill.
He wished others to preserve
their consistency he meant to
preserve his but those who
voted for any similar object he
conceived bound to vote for this.
After some remarks from
Messrs. Archer and Alexander,
of Virginia, Mr. HALL obser
ved, he presumed, from the
manner in which the gentleman
(Mr. Archer,) had asked his
questions, and from the expres
sion of his countenance, he did
not require an answer to them
all, which, indeed, he could not
give, because they formed a
string as long as his arm, and
many of them he could not re
collect. But he would answer
the first which he did recollect,
and say that, there really was
such a place as he had mention
ed. He had stated what was
known to all the inhabitants of
the town of Washington and
surrounding country and, tho'
the subject had assumed some
appearance of a joke, yet it was
a true joke, and he knew it to
be the wish, as it would be to
the interest of these people, to
have the obstruction removed,
and he (himself) would as soon
vote lor it as any item iu the
bill, or any thing of the kind.
He would say to the other gen
tleman from Virginia, (Mr. Al
exander,) by way of explana
tion, that it was not the Swash
which he was understood to al
lude to when, in conversation,
he said it had been made worse
it was another place in North
Carolina. But, in relation to
the Swash, he would only say,
that he did not believe that
either much good or harm could
be done it, permanently, nor did
he believe that the whole corps
of engineers, with the whole
purse of Uncle Sam, could per
manently remove the obstruc
tions to the navigation and
commerce of North Carolina.
Cod and nature, he thought,
had, in their modus operandi of
creating these obstructions, de
termined pretty clearly 'that
mortal man should not have any
modus operandi by which, ef
fectually, to remove them. lie
had desired to avoid saying any
thing at present on this subject,
because he knew it to be a fa
vorite project with his colleague,
(Mr. Speight,) but as it had
been mentioned, and he had
been drawn into remarks rela
tive to it, he would say that, if
anyone would contemplate with
proper attention, the elements
which enter into the formation
of these obstructions, they would
see the futility of wasting mo
ney oti them.
When, on Saturday the 5h,
the same subject came up in the
House, Mr. HALL objected to
the appropriation for Ocracock,
but previous to giving his rea
sons for so doing, said, he wish
ed to make some explanations
in relation to the amendment he
had previously offered in com
mittee, and should again offer in
the House. He then went into
such explanations a3 the case
required, similar to those alrea
dy stated, and called upon his
colleague, (Mr. Speight,) 10 sav
ings statements were not cor
rect. Sir, said he, I know my
colleague to be in possession of
such information as will sustain
me in what I have said in regard
lo this subject. He is a swift
witness in this case. Here Mr.
Speight asked what he meant
hy a swift witness? Mr. H.
said, he meant a good witness
a competent witness a witness
having full knowledge of the
subject and he protested a
gainst its being supposed that
lie intended any thing in the
slightest degree unkind to his
colleague, who, being not only
his colleague but his neighbor,
he should be sorry to say any
thing in the least unkind, and
disclaimed it but he again call
ed on him to say if his state
ments were not correct, to
which Mr. Speight nodded as
sent. Mr. Hall thou said, his
object in calling on his col
league was to show to gentle
men that what he had said was
true, and th'at the information
was clearly such as to place the
subject on the same fooling
with the other items; nor could-
he see with what propriety gen
tlemen could vote fur the other
itertis and reject this.
Sir, said Mr. II. 1 will now
state my reasons for opposhi";
this appropriation for the Swash.
I am quite certain that if any one
will look at this matter in a philo
sophic point of view if they will
consider the real causes of the
obstruction to the commerce of
North Carolina, they will per
ceive that the idea of effectually
removing these impediments is
idle. It is supposed by philo
sophers and mariners that the
trade winds have some influence
in producing the gulf stream.
Be this as it may, very few ma
riners who traverse the coast of
North Carolina, are ignorant
that the gulf stream is one of
the principal causes of those ob
structions, which, to think of
overcoming, permanently, by
the ploughing machine, com
monly called the dredging ma
chine, is about as specious as to
talk of quenching the sun with
a squirt gun. They had as well
gel a school of shovel-nosed
sharks to root away the sand.
It is known that the gulf stream
sweeps along our coast at the
rate of three and a half miles
an hour, bringing with it, from
the capes of Florida, as it ap
proaches more or less near the
shore, according to its projec
tion or incurvature, an immense
mass of floating sand. As
it approaches the projecting
points of the coast of North
Carolina, during the prevalence
of east winds, it is pressed by
the ocean more in shore, produ
cing a counter current or eddy,
in which the sand is whirled
round and thrown into the
mouths of our inlets, and in
heavy easterly storms thrown in
immense masses within the
Sound, and forms that irregular
semicircular deposite known by
the name of the Swash, consist
ing almost wholly of land.
It is believed that the gulf
stream, placed before the out-!
lets of our rivers, is the princi
pal primary cause of that depo
site of sand along our coast,
which forms a barrier between
the Atlantic and the Sound,
through which the breaks, call
ed inlets, are made, and contin
9, 1833
ually modified, by the battling
of the winds arid these mighty
waters. And now let me ask,
does any one really believe that
we stand any chance to make a
permanent removal of this de
posite, while the causes which
placed it there remain, and that,
too with this dredging machine?
Even supposing it mav be cut
through and part of it removed,
wnat is to prevent the same op
eration from filling it up? Sir,
if Congress are really in earnest
about removing the obstructions
to our commerce, let them
make an appropriation to re
move the gulf stream across the
Atlantic; pass a law to stop the
storms which beset this coast;
and blow up the banks! we shall
then have a good outlet to the
ocean! 1 have had some know
ledge of these storms as fine a
specimen of storms as is known.
It has, you know, Sir, been
doubted by some of our people,
whether they had better thun
der in England than We have in
this country; but I am quite cer
tain, if they have better thun
der, they have no better storms
than we have about Cape-Uat-teras
and Ocracock. Now, Sir,
to be serious, let me ask, what
can we do against these ele
ments To bear me out, let
me quote from a report of the
engineers upon a kindred work,
the celebrated Nag's Head, or
Roanoke Inlet obstructions
made by the same elements.
The following extract is from
the report of Capt. Hartman'
Bache, of the Topographical
Engineers, dated'Feb. 12,1829:!
"It is impossible to enter upon the'
discussion of the proposed project, in- j
volving such important consequences j
to the populous and productive por- j
lions of the country, watered by the
Roanoke river, without feeling deep 1
ly sensible of the difficulties in effect-j
ingso desirable an object, and the de-'
gree of uncertainty attending the re
sult of any operations, where the cau- j
ses lo be governed are so infinite and
powerful. This is apparent even to'
the most unpracticed in the profession
of engineering, wherever the course
of nature, in her marine operations,
is to be governed. Indeed, there is;
probably no subject within the range,
of science, where so much is deduced
from hypothesis, and where, necessa-i
rily, in the results, there is so little!
certainty. Nor can we, from the
causes already put in practice, adduce i
the evidence of success of any series.
of operations, having in view such im
provements, inasmuch as every case
is of a new character. This would
appear to be the fact, when we bear
in mind, that probably in no one in
stance, where operations have been
carried on for the improvement of
harbors, inlets, &c. have the results
met the expectations entertained. In
expressing these opinions, I am im
pelled only by the desire of impres
sing upon the conviction of the san
guine, the difficulties which belong to
hydrogfaphical improvements, with
out particular reference to the sub
ject of this report"
Sir, it will be seen that this
reasoning is intended to apply,
not alone to Nag's head, but to
all marine obstructions and im
provements, and is peculiarly
applicable to the Swash. Now
let us hear what the Report of
the Secretary of War, made this
session, tells us. The Report,
in relation to Ocracock Inlet,
says:
"The dredging machinery design
ed to improve the channel of this In
let, has been applied to that object, on
the part called the Flounder slue, du
ring all the favorable weather, since
the beginning of 1S30, and about
1Q,OOQ cubic yards have been excaya-
Vol FUl-JSo 40.
fed. The engineer reports thai, so
lar as a conclusion may be drawn
from observation, during so shoita
period, it is in favor of the fin.l suc
cess of the experiment. It is found
that, in cons, quence of the exposed
siluation of the place of operations,
not more t; an about 150 working
days in a year can be counted on;
and, at the present rate, ten y?ars
would be required to complete the
proposed excavation. In order to af
ford, in7 this case, an opportunity of
making as fair experiments as practi
cable, it is intended to apply another
dredging machine of greatir power
in aid of the one how employed," &c.
With these high authorities,
in addition to what 1 have my
self shown, shall I not be borne
out in my opinion of the utter
futility of such enterprises!
The Secretary of War tells us
that the affair at Ocracock is an
experiment. This, I believe,
will be the third I am told the
fourth, appropriation for that
object. We have now been
making the applications for
something little less than three
years, I think, and the Secreta
ry tells us it will take ten years
more; this is called au experi
ment! It is an experiment,
with a vengeance! A thirteen
years experiment, at the rate of
twenty or thirty thousand dol
lars a year for what, by their
own showing, and the least ac
quaintance with the nature of
the obstructions, can produce
nothing but waste of money and
eventual disappointment. 1
have been informed by many
respectable persons living on
the banks and other pluces not
remote, that the whole affair
was viewed as a mere idle
waste of money. BuV as re
gards the mud shoal below
Washington, I cannot see what
is the difference in principle
between it and the Swash. The
only difference is, one is an ob
struction at the upper part of
the same body of water, where
it is called Pamlico river, and
the other at the lower part,
where it is called Pamlico
Snund; both obstruct navisra
tion and commerce. In expla
nation to a remark of Mr.
Speight, that his information
was drawn from pilots, who
were interested, Mr. H. said, it
was not alone from pilots, but
many other respectable people,
as well as respectable people of
this class, whose information
was likely to be, perhaps, bet
ter than others. The final suc
cess of the Swash 1 doubt; as to
the shoal near Washington, suc
cess would probably attend that,
with means properly applied.
Suicide. Nancy Copridge,
wife of Win. Copridge, of this
county, committed suicide by
drowning herself on the 1st irist.
She was so very ill at the time
as to be unable to turn herself
in bed. On the morning above
mentioned, she rose from her
bed, ran off some distance from
the house and threw herself in
to a mill pond. She has left a
husband, and an infant only 3 or
4 days old. Eliz. City Star.
OCTOn the 15lh inst. about 5
o'clock, P. M. a flash of light
ning struck down two boys and
two horses, belonging to Geo,
Pollok, Esq. at his Mill Creek
plantation. One boy and a
horse were killed on the spot.
The others recovered,.
Netcbem Spectator.
fi
n